Innovative Remote-Sensing Technologies for Sea Ice Observing
A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2026 | Viewed by 34
Special Issue Editors
Interests: convolutional neural network; sea ice; synthetic aperture radar
Interests: machine learning; SAR image processing
Interests: AI and machine learning; earth observation; remote sensing; geospatial data science; environmental monitoring
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polar sea ice is undergoing rapid transformation due to global warming, which affects climate feedbacks, marine ecosystems, and human activities such as shipping and resource exploration. Traditional monitoring approaches struggle to cope with the evolving variability in ice thickness, morphology, and seasonality, underscoring the need for advanced remote sensing methods that can deliver enhanced spatial resolution, frequency, and accuracy.
This Special Issue, “Innovative Remote‑Sensing Technologies for Sea Ice Observing,” aligns with Remote Sensing's “Environment” and “Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology” sections. It aims to:
- Showcase cutting-edge sensor and platform technologies (e.g., SAR, passive microwave, UAV hyperspectral, altimeters, and in situ/autonomous systems).
- Advance analytical methodologies—AI/deep learning, multi-sensor fusion, data assimilation—for retrieving key sea-ice parameters (thickness, concentration, and dynamics).
- Bridge science and practice by promoting applications in navigation support, marginal ice zone monitoring, and operational forecasting.
By carrying out these aims, this Special Issue fulfills the journal’s mission of disseminating innovative Earth observation research in both environmental and hydrological contexts.
Suggested Themes:
Satellite SAR and Passive Microwave Systems: Novel sensors, enhanced sea ice thickness, and concentration retrievals.
Airborne/UAV and In Situ Platforms: Hyperspectral payloads and buoy-mounted and ship‑based sensors.
Multi-Sensor Fusion and Data Assimilation: Integration of optical, altimetry, SAR, radiometry, and model outputs.
AI / Deep Learning: Segmentation, classification, and forecasting of sea ice from SAR and optical imagery.
Operational and Case Studies: Navigation support, remote marginal ice-zone monitoring, and climate impacts.
Article Types Invited:
Original Research Articles: detailed innovations and field deployments in sensor or algorithm development.
Review Articles: comprehensive overviews of evolving methodologies, sensor synergies, and AI applications
Dr. Mingzhe Jiang
Dr. Mohsen Ghanbari
Dr. Linlin Xu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- sea ice remote sensing
- satellite SAR and passive microwave
- airborne/UAV hyperspectral imaging
- ice thickness and altitude retrieval
- multi-sensor data fusion
- deep learning classification
- climate and operational forecasting
- cryosphere monitoring
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